Nepal: Kathmandu and Home

The euphoria of our high-octane, high elevation breakfast lingered and we were lost in our thoughts on the 45-minute flight. We were again spared the Lukla runway experience and through a last minute change of plans (and the largess of Ventours and Yeti), it was decided that we would fly in the choppers directly to Dwarikas Resort in Dhulikhel. Little did we know as we approached a lushly forested ridge, thinking it was another IMAX moment, that we’d actually be landing on it! Located at 1550m on the rim of the Kathmandu Valley is the 39-room, all-suite, sister property to where we first stayed in town which recently hosted the SAARC conference. This destination spa is situated on 42 hillside acres and golf carts come in handy to navigate the steep terrain as well as trails through the forest and endless flights of steps. It was the perfect place for us to decompress and “re-set” after our action packed days in the mountains.

We were anxious to peruse their Ayurvedic-inspired spa menu and during our brief orientation over a healthy looking basil-pomegranate juice, they also introduced a whole lineup of activities offered daily which included yoga and meditation, a pottery class, an afternoon painting session, a visit to the Himalayan Salt House (good for respiratory ailments) or the Sound Chambers (to align your chakras), cooking classes and tours of their organic farm. It was clear that our one night stay would not be near enough time to fully enjoy this special place. I was shown to room 111, a very spacious suite with huge bathroom, rain shower and an inviting deck with king size day bed. It was tempting just to tuck into this beautiful room, but lunchtime approached and I set out to explore the property. At times, I felt as if dropping bread crumbs might be helpful in terms of finding my way back – there is a labyrinth of nature trails – not always clearly marked, but what was marked well were all of the indigenous plants with little placards denoting place of origin and its Latin name. In addition, scattered throughout the resort were little inspiring messages on plaques like “Yesterday is history; tomorrow is a mystery; today is a gift which is why it’s called the present.” I encouraged the management team to gather these into a little book for guests to enjoy. Thus, walking around the place was a genuine pleasure even if you occasionally got lost.

Lunch was served on the outdoor verandah of “Nature’s Flavours,” the hotel’s signature restaurant taking spa cuisine to a new level. On a clear day, the view would have been spectacular but today, the mountains showed a modicum of modesty and were shrouded in a thick haze. We explored an eclectic menu which included surprisingly delicious ostrich burgers, a twist on chicken quesadillas, and some of the most beautifully presented salads I’ve ever seen—many of the ingredients sourced from their own organic farm. I found the dinner menu to be a bit more limiting with a choice of just two entrees – in our case, duck or a roulade of zucchini and ricotta cheese — although each was again so creatively presented—almost too pretty to eat. Had we had one more night there, I would have happily tried their alternative restaurant, Mako’s Zen, which specializes in high-end Japanese vegetarian options. I retired to the spa for a much-anticipated Himalayan back massage.

I awoke with good intentions of joining the 7 AM yoga practice, but in spite of my map, and directions from a few members of staff I encountered, I never managed to find the yoga hall. After wandering aimlessly for half an hour, I gave up in favor of an early breakfast. Funnily enough, I encountered my friend Greg Tepper, founder of Exeter Travel, who’d also been unsuccessful in finding the yoga session and we giggled about it over omelets. We abandoned our plans to visit the 9^th century city of Bhaktapur as thunderheads gathered and sheets of rain began to fall. Retail therapy is a powerful antidote to just about anything (inclement weather included!) and everyone had some last minute shopping we wanted to accomplish so we set off with umbrellas into the wet, traffic-clogged streets of Kathmandu. Re-united with our guide, Sanjee, we found some great little shops specializing in Nepali handicrafts offering good quality and fair prices. Most were run as cooperatives, and had an array of items from home wares (table cloths, napkins, etc) to hand-made paper, Buddhas and prayer wheels, finger puppets for children, the ubiquitous pashminas, and even adorable felt Easter decorations, which I would have never predicted in a Hindu country! My top picks were:

Mahaguthi: Craft with a Conscious
Dhukuti: Association for Handicrafts

Our last night was spent at Gokarna Forest Resort, a 100-room, 470-acre oasis just 10 kms from the city with its own par-72 golf course. It was formerly the private hunting grounds of the royal family and monkeys and deer still roam at will and one is reminded not to leave windows open lest cheeky monkeys wrest havoc in your room!! This is another enterprising project under the Yeti umbrella and Tshiring and Hemant, who hosted a delicious bar-b-que farewell dinner featuring delicious char-grilled starters and a sumptuous buffet. My favorites were the wild boar pork belly (everything is better with bacon!!) and, perhaps because it’s a delicacy in a Hindu country, the beef!

Alas, it was time to say farewell to new friends and to the country of Nepal which had forged such an indelible impression on our hearts and souls. I owe a debt of gratitude to my Indian-based hosts, Ventours: to Neil, Raju and Neeraj who traveled with us and made sure every detail was executed with SWAT-team efficiency, plus they were very good company! Ventours is represented in the USA by my friend, Rebecca Slater, and I will be forever grateful to have received her kind invitation to join this exclusive group. Lastly, heartfelt thanks goes to our local hosts, Tshiring and Hemant, Sanjee and Balla, our skilled pilots, and the whole Yeti team. We saw more of Nepal than I ever dreamed possible!

Who should come to Nepal?  I see two broad categories:

The culturally curious. . . I was fascinated by how Hinduism and Buddhism were so comfortably enmeshed in the spiritual fabric of everyday life; equally the opportunity to see the last pure strains of Tibetan culture in Mustang is like taking a step back 500 years in time.

The adventure seekers. . . from hard core mountaineering pursuits to soft-trekking, paragliding with hawks to birding, anyone with a genuine love of the outdoors will be rewarded in Nepal.  The Himalayas serve up a heady dose of adrenalin!

Having explored the Himalayas in Bhutan, the Yunan Province of China, Darjeeling and Ladakh, I came to Nepal to round out my understanding of these grand peaks and the distinctive people who dwell amongst them. I was prepared to be underwhelmed by Nepal, but my experience there was so overwhelmingly positive.  My expectations were vastly exceeded and mostly by the genuine warmth of the hospitality we received from our Nepali hosts.  There are not words enough to describe the grandeur of the mountains and I know that this will not be my only trip to Nepal, for I already feel drawn to return.